House Bill 6

(As Passed the House)

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION TO TRANSFER AND CONVEY CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT COLUMBIA TRAINING SCHOOL IN MARION COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, TO THE COLUMBIA-MARION COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY AND TO THE MARION COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The Department of Finance and Administration may transfer and convey to the Columbia-Marion County Airport Authority certain real property located at Columbia Training School in Marion County, Mississippi. The real property contains approximately two hundred four (204) acres, more or less, lying North of Highway 44 and is more particularly described as follows:

Commencing at the Southwest corner of Section 22, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi; thence run north along said section line a distance of 3,350 feet, more or less, to the south boundary of a parcel owned by The City of Columbia; thence continue to run along parcel boundary east a distance of 1,320 feet, more or less, thence continue to run along said City of Columbia parcel boundary north a distance of 1,612 feet, more or less, to the Point of Beginning; thence run N 61°40'00" E a distance of 4,470 feet, more or less, to the east boundary of Section 15; thence run along said Section line north a distance of 2,954 feet, more or less; thence leaving said Section line run S 48°06'08" W a distance of 5,296 feet, more or less, to the east boundary of a parcel owned by The City of Columbia; thence run along said boundary South a distance of 1,539 feet, more or less, back to the Point of Beginning. Said parcel containing 204 acres, more or less, and being located in the South ¹/₂ and the NE ¹/₄ of Section 15, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi, and the NE ¹/₄ of the NW ¹/₄ of Section 22, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi.

(2) The Department of Finance and Administration may transfer and convey to the Marion County Economic Development District certain real property located at Columbia Training School in Marion County, Mississippi. The real property contains approximately four hundred six (406) acres, more or less, lying North of Highway 44 and is more particularly described as follows:

Beginning at the Southwest corner of Section 22, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi; thence run north along said section line a distance of 3,350 feet, more or less, to the south boundary of a parcel owned by The City of Columbia; thence run east a distance of 5,280 feet, more or less, to the east boundary of Section 22; thence run south along said section line a distance of 3,350 feet, more or less, to the southeast corner of Section 22; thence run west a distance of 5,280 feet, more or less, back to the Point of Beginning. Said parcel containing 406 acres, more or less, and being located in the South ¹/₂ and the South ¹/₂ of the North ¹/₂ of Section 22, Township 4 North, Range 18 West, Marion County, Mississippi.

(3) The aggregate of parcels described in subsections (1) and (2) of this section consists of six hundred ten (610) acres, more or less, of the Columbia Training School Property, which the entirety of such section whereon the named property is situated consists of one thousand eight hundred twenty-three (1,823) acres, more or less.

(4) The State of Mississippi shall retain any mineral rights to the property transferred and conveyed under subsections (1) and (2) of this section. The Department of Finance and Administration shall have the authority to correct any discrepancies in the property descriptions provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

(5) (a) The parcels of property conveyed under this section must be conveyed to the Columbia-Marion County Airport Authority and to the Marion County Economic Development District without any assumption of liability or financial responsibility by the State of Mississippi for any known or unknown environmental defects contained thereon. Upon receipt of the deed of title to the property, the respective recipients, in their individual capacities, shall indemnify the State of Mississippi for any damage, injury or loss.

(b) The Columbia-Marion County Airport Authority and the Marion County Economic Development District shall provide the Mississippi Department of Human Services six (6) months to harvest and sell any timber located on the property transferred using a company of the department's preference prior to any improvement or development being made on the property by such entities, the revenue generated from which shall be deposited into the State Treasury and earmarked for use by the Department of Human Services for all administrative and program purposes deemed necessary by the executive director. Any nonharvested timber remaining on the property described in subsections (1) and (2) of this section on the last date of the sixth month harvesting period, shall be deemed to be in possession of the entity to which the property was transferred.

(6) The Columbia-Marion County Airport Authority and the Marion County Economic Development District shall each grant the Department of Human Services an easement of ingress and egress to access the remaining parcels of property retained by the Department of Human Services if reasonable access to such remaining parcels is not otherwise available.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.